WHY ARE THE NEW MEDICARE CARDS IMPORTANT?

Social Security Numbers are being taken off of Medicare cards is to fight medical identity theft for people with Medicare. By replacing the Social Security Numbers with Health Insurance Claim Numbers on all Medicare cards, your information is better protected.

WHAT’S THE TIMELINE FOR THE NEW MEDICARE CARDS & WHAT DOES IT MEAN FOR ME?

New Medicare cards are being mailed to all people with Medicare in phases by geographic location. The change to Medicare Beneficiary Identifier numbers won’t change how we find non-active Medicare beneficiaries. The Medicare Beneficiary Identifier and the Health Insurance Claim Numbers don’t tell us which beneficiaries are non-active, so we’ll keep using the data that does give us that information.

HOW LONG WILL MY EXISTING CARD NUMBER REMAIN VALID?

Your existing card number will remain valid until December 31, 2019.

WHAT DO THE NEW MEDICARE CARDS MEAN FOR PEOPLE WITH MEDICARE?

The new cards won’t change Medicare benefits. People with Medicare may start using their new Medicare cards as soon as they get them.

The effective date of the new cards, like the old cards, is the date each beneficiary was or is eligible for Medicare.

Once beneficiaries get their new Medicare cards, they can use their new cards to enroll in a Medicare health (Medicare Advantage) or drug plan. Those Medicare beneficiaries who do choose to enroll in Medicare health and/or drug plans will still also get an insurance card from their health and/or drug plans. As always, while beneficiaries are enrolled in health and/or drug plans, they should use the cards from those plans when they get health care and/or prescriptions.

WILL THE MEDICAL BENEFICIARY IDENTIFIER CHARACTERS HAVE ANY MEANING?

Each MBI is unique, randomly generated, and the characters are "non-intelligent," which means they don't have any hidden or special meaning.

WHAT IF I AM CURRENTLY ENROLLED IN A MEDICARE ADVANTAGE PLAN (HMO OR PPO)?

You still need to present your New Medicare card for the hospital to have on record. Boca Raton Regional Hospital is an approved teaching facility and needs your New Medicare Beneficiary ID when submitting claims.

HAVE ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS?

Visit medicare.gov/newcard or call 1.800.MEDICARE (633.4227).